The culture of the Mississippi Delta is a wealthy one. Just as its land has been a rich source for cotton and soybean, the people of the Delta have been ripe for stories, both written and visual. Whether it’s William Faulkner with a typewriter or William Eggleston with his camera, each artist has proven the Delta as an endless source of inspiration. It’s a place that has lured many a photographer.

But it’s a place filled with contradictions. As rich as it is for the creative artist, the existence of poverty, economic disparity and the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow is not far behind. It makes it hard to idealize or demonize a place and its people. To know the place, you have to go deeper.

And that is what photographer, Magdalena Sole does in her book, New Delta Rising. It’s beautiful, stunning photographs provide an insightful view of the Delta, both good and bad. But most importantly, it allows the people in her images to tell their own stories in a collection of essays that compliments the photographs. If a book that reveal the soul of a place, this one is it.

Nico Therin is a Los Angeles based French photographer. For as long as he can remember, he has been attracted to form and color, but it wasn’t until he moved from France to the United States to follow his exchange student high school sweetheart that he entertained the idea of studying photography.

Meryl Meisler frequented and photographed the infamous New York Discos. As a 1978 CETA Artist grant recipient, Meryl created a portfolio of photographs which explored her Jewish Identity for the American Jewish Congress. After CETA, Meryl began a 31-year career as an NYC Public School Art Teacher.

In this week's video, Ibarionex discusses how and why he chooses to create a vertical rather than a horizontal composition. He explains how choosing to go vertical can eliminate distracting elements from the composition while at the same time emphasizing the presence of repeating lines and shapes.

Mark Thiessen has been a photographer with National Geographic since 1990 and on staff since 1997.

He is widely published in all areas of the National Geographic Society, including National Geographic magazine, National Geographic Adventure magazine, and National Geographic Traveler magazine. National Geographic books that feature Thiessen's work include Return to Midway, which documents the discovery of the U.S.S. Yorktown, and Baseball as America, a look at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In this week's video, Ibarionex discusses how he attempted to create layered compositions while documenting a recent Black History Parade. He shows both successful and less successful images to explain how he observed and photographed each scene.

Michael A. McCoy is a Washington D.C. based freelance photojournalist and a two-time combat veteran. In his work as a photographer, he sees himself as a visual storyteller. He is devoted to his documentary and environmental portraiture work which includes his personal project Invisible Wounds which explores the lingering impact of PTSD on veterans.

In this week's video, Ibarionex discusses the importance of seeing the little things, those little details that can really transform a photograph. It can be something as simple as a gesture or the juxtaposition of different elements within the frame, but when carefully seen can ensure that you come away with a strong image.

Stella Johnson is a photographer and educator known for her passionate and honest documentary projects. She received a Core Fulbright Scholar Grant to photograph in Mexico in 2003, and Fulbright Senior Specialist grants to teach in Mexico in 2006 and in Colombia in 2018. The University of Maine Press published her monograph, Al Sol: Photographs from Mexico, Cameroon and Nicaragua in 2008. Johnson’s photographs have been widely exhibited in the United States and internationally.

In this week's video, Ibarionex discusses how to identify and photograph street scenes at night. He emphasizes the importance of considering the same elements of light and shadow, line and shape, color and gesture when searching for interesting subject matter.

In this unusual episode, photojournalist and documentary photographer Jamie Rose conducts an exhaustive interview with TCF host, Ibarionex Perello about his life, including his career as a photographer, writer, and podcaster. It even includes a temporary sidetrack as a stand-up comic. The conversation examines some of the challenges he has faced professionally and personally, including a recent diagnosis of ADHD.

In this week's video, Ibarionex discusses what to look for to create richer and interesting compositions. He explains how the repetition of color, lines, and shapes help to compliment the main elements within any photographic composition.

Valerie Jardin is a popular street and travel photographer, educator and host of the Hit the Street podcast. After leaving a successful career as a professional commercial photographer, she dedicated herself to her personal photography and conducting photo experiences both in the United States and Europe.

She has recently turned her lens to more personal projects including a series of environmental portraits of artists that live and work in her community.

In this week's video, Ibarionex discusses how to use the diagonal lines of a scene and your subjects for better compositions. He was spurred to discuss the subject after someone asked him how to build an interesting composition when you don’t have the benefit of dramatic lighting.

Jens Krauer is a street photographer, educator and podcaster based in Switzerland. In a relatively short time, he has become a talented photographer and brings a thoughtful philosophy to the practice of making images. As the host of the FujiLove podcast, he frequently interviews photographers not only about their use of Fuji cameras, but also their varied approaches to making photographs.

In this week's video, Ibarionex discusses how to challenge your photographic eye when documenting your own living space. He suggests that you consider using your own environment for a potential subject matter, providing you ready access with which to practice your photographic skills.

David Burnett is a photojournalist with more than 5 decades of work covering the news, the people, and visual tempo of our age. He is co-founder of Contact Press Images, the New York based photojournalism agency.